Fair offers sustainable living hints

SEVEN SPRINGS – Mother Earth News, the guide to living wisely, comes to life for the sixth straight year at Seven Springs Mountain Resort from noon to 7 p.m. Sept. 18, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 19 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 20.

More than 150 workshops will entertain and educate attendees on topics such as home butchering, chicken processing, backyard biodiesel, basic beekeeping, food preservation and more.

This event, geared toward people who desire a more sustainable and often more rural lifestyle, features more than a dozen workshop areas that stretch from one end of the resort’s hotel and conference center to the upper and lower parking lots.

Expert advice will be available on topics such as canning, herbal health, heritage livestock and the art of fermentation – think kombucha or sauerkraut.

An indoor/outdoor marketplace will feature more than 300 vendors, or try sampling fresh, locally sourced cuisine from one of Seven Springs’ many dining establishments.

Main stage presentations will include a poultry processing demonstration, a 30-minute demonstration on farmers’ cheese flavored with herbs and one on edible flowers.

There will also be a lecture on the risks of genetically engineered foods, and the fair’s finale will be a presentation on successful farm startups from author and self-described “lunatic farmer” Joel Salatin.

Advance weekend wristband passes are $30 for adults when ordered through the event’s website or toll-free number.

Adult wristbands at the gate are $35. Children and teens under 17 are free.